Construction of Nicaragua canal begins

Nicaragua’s government says the $40bn canal will boost the country’s economy but opponents are alarmed by the environmental impact of the waterway – wider, deeper and 3.5 times the length of the Panama Canal
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NICARAGUA CANAL

New deep-water ports
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PACIFIC OCEAN

HONDURAS

NICARAGUA

Nicaragua Canal

COSTA RICA

PANAMA

Panama Canal

COLOMBIA

CARIBBEAN SEA

185 miles 300km
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Lake Nicaragua

New tourist resorts

New airport

Brito locks

Brito: New free-trade

San Juan del Sur

PACIFIC

Lake Atlanta: New 400-sq. km artificial lake created

Camilo locks

NICARAGUA 

Punta Gorda

CARIBBEAN

COSTA RICA

50km 30 miles
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Locks: Two sets of locks comprising three chambers each

Sea

Chambers

MAX. CAPACITY

PANAMA CANAL New Panamax Length: 366m TEU*: 12,000

NICARAGUA CANAL Triple-E Length: 400m TEU: 18,000

Water-saving basins: Move ships between sea and lake level

Lock gates

Lake
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SIZE COMPARED

Panama Canal (expanded)

NICARAGUA CANAL

Length

77km

278km

Width

218m

230m

Depth

14m

27.6m
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*TEU = Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (container capacity) 

Sources: HKND Group, Panama Canal Authority

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